The invention relates to a hand-guided power tool, in particular, a motor chain saw, a cut-off machine, a hedge trimmer, a trimmer/brushcutter or the like, comprising a drive motor that drives a working tool by means of a rotating drive element. A braking device is correlated with the rotating drive element; in a first applied state the braking device brakes the drive element and in a second released state the braking element allows the drive element to rotate, wherein the braking device comprises a brake lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,072 discloses a motor chain saw whose drive motor is an electric motor and drives by means of a sprocket wheel used as a drive element a working tool, i.e., a saw chain circulating on the guide bar. As a braking device a band brake is provided that acts on a brake drum connected fixedly to the drive shaft. When the braking device is applied, i.e., the brake drum is blocked and cannot rotate, switching on the electric motor can cause overload of the motor or of the braking device.
In a chainsaw according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,896 an internal combustion engine is provided as a drive motor whose crankshaft drives by means of a centrifugal clutch a sprocket wheel for the saw chain which drives the saw chain so as to circulate on a guide bar. The clutch drum has a braking device correlated therewith that is configured as a band brake. When the band brake is applied the clutch drum is blocked so that a significant wear on the clutch pads can result when the centrifugal clutch engages. Moreover, this can lead to impermissibly high temperatures on the centrifugal clutch.